Waiting For A Proposal
by DanishGirl123
Summary: Let's say that Monica found out about the proposal before Chandler was going to do it. Here we get what she thinks through the whole event.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I'm up with an other Monica & Chandler fic. This time about the proposal.**

**I'm not a native English speaker and this is only my second fan fiction, so please be nice.**

**This story is in Monica's POV **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Lines that might sound familiar are from TOW The Ring and TOW The Proposal.**

**XXXXXXXX**

I am bored.

It's almost 4 o'clock and I have cleaned the whole apartment. It isn't just clean, it's 'Monica clean.' But I'm done now, and I have nothing to do.

I have been home alone ever since this morning, when Chandler and Phoebe went out together (Although, Ross and Joey came by, shortly after - I think - but only to eat), none of them would tell my where they were going or what they were doing. But whatever it is, it's taking all day.

I haven't seen Ross or Joey since I saw them briefly this morning. I know neither of them are home, but what they are doing have I no idea of.

The only human contact I've had since Chandler and Phoebe said goodbye, is Rachel. She's coming in once every hour, keeping me updated of how Paul is still crying, it has been a very long time now.

I finished cleaning almost an hour ago. Since, have I been reading, but I'm starting to get bored. And worse. A thought sneaks it's way into my mind.

_The fancy guest towels._

I forgot to check that they were folded properly, when I cleaned the bathroom. I can no longer concentrate on the book before me. All I can think is that there could be a towel, no a _fancy guest_ towel, who isn't folded. I get up as fast as I can and run to the bathroom.

I was right.

The bottom towel isn't folded perfectly like the others. It's a little uneven. So, I take them all up.

And that's where I see it.

The reason why the towels are uneven.

Chandler's porn magazine, that he thinks I don't know about.

It doesn't really bother me, that he has it. I know it's an important part of his masculinity to watch porn and look at dirty magazines, that's just who he is. Besides all of the hotness he feel, when he looks at these women, he acts out on me. So, who can complain?

I put the towel down, and take a closer look at the magazine that my boyfriend bought this month.

I start looking at the pages and I'm suprised to see that the edges aren't even a little crumpled, it actually looks like he hasn't even looked in it.

I'm about to put the magazine back in the drawer, when a brochure falls half-way out from in between page 26 and 27. I take a closer look.

My hand goes up to my mouth, and I'm releasing a little awe. Because the brochure is an engagemant-ring brochure. I can't believe Chandler has one of those, I can't believe he's going to propose to me. All I want to do right now is running across the hall to tell Rachel.

But I stop myself. I might be wrong. The brochure might not be Chandler's, maybe it was in the magazine when he bought it - Although it looks more read than the magazine.

"Stop!" I say out loud to myself. "He. Is. Not. Going to. Propose." I then say, mostly to convince myself. Even though all I want to do right now; is running over to Rachel's and interupt her time with Paul - Which she would probably appreciate. But I don't.

Because 1) I can't have another "Pete fiasko" where I'm getting myself all worked up and excited; for nothing. And this time would be even worse; because I'm not thinking - not even for a sekund - about saying "no." If Chandler is going to ask me to marry him; then I'll scream "Yes," and I hope he knows.

And 2) Rachel might already know, and then she'll tell Chandler that I know, and it'll ruin everything.

No I can't risk that, besides it's probably not true. I mean I saw how Chandler freaked out last week when I put our names down for a marriage in _two_ years. He's clearly not ready.

And I'm fine with that, he will come around. And I'll wait untill he's ready, as long as he _gets_ ready.

I put the brochure back in the magazine, the magazine back in the drawer under the towels. Regardless if he's going to propose or not, he wouldn't want to know that I've found it.

I go into the kitchen and make myself a snack, when I hear the door open. It's Rachel, again.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" She screams as she enters.

"Still crying?" I ask, trying to care about it - and not think about my maybe proposal.

"Like a little girl." Rachel continues, I shake my head to get the proposal thoughts out of my mind. "I know, I know, I know. This is all my fault, I wanted him to open up. But I didn't know I was going to unleash this- this _weepy, clingy, moist_ monster." She continues, crying.

I give her my advice, knowing that that's what she needs. "You know, I only know of two surefire ways to shut a man up, and one of them is sex." I say with no emotion.

She rolls her eyes. "What's the other one?"

"I don't know. I've never had to use the other one." I say with a giggle, her eyes are questioning my response. "I'm just saying, you know, if we're having sex, he's not going to be talking." I state clearly.

Rachel nods. "That's right, you're the talker." That makes me a little uncomfortable, knowing she probably has heard me talking in bed when we lived together. I can see, she's uncomfortable, too. "Anyway, uh, great idea." She changes the subject. "Um, I got to go to the store. I told him that I would buy him some more tissuses." She starts walking towards the door.

"Oh, we have some here." I tell so she doesn't need to go all the way down the the store.

"No, you don't!" She snaps, telling me she needs a break from the _'weepy, clingy, moist monster.'_

I look after her as she leaves, half regretting that I didn't tell her, but also happy that I made it through a full conversation without bringing it up - maybe it'll actually be possible for me to do.

I sit down at the table and begin to eat my prepared snack.

Not five minutes later, I hear someone in the hall. _'It can't be Rachel already_,' I think and look through the peephole.

I'm right. It's not Rachel, it's Chandler. He closes the door to apartment 19 after him, but I can't help wondering what he's doing there, instead of coming home. And why is he even here, if he and Phoebe went out to by an engagement rin- '_okay stop_' A skeptic thought thinks. _'He isn't_!'

A few minutes go by and I'm still looking through the peephole, I'm about to stop when Joey comes home. He too shuts the door close so I can't see anything.

But a few moments after, is Chandler running out of the apartment and down the stairs. Because of the weird angle a peephole has, I can see, that he has a credit card in his hand. '_That's why he's here._' A hopeful thought thinks. _'He needed his credit card to by a ring._' I shake my head. "No he didn't!" I say out loud.

I turn to doing nothing once again, untill about 30 minutes later, when Chandler and Phoebe come home.

"Hey," I ask as I walk over to hug Chandler as they enter. "What've you been up to?"

Chandler sighs as he hugs me a little bit closer. "Nothing much." He says and kisses me. I can't help wonder if he has a ring on him right now. But as I take a closer look at them I realize that they don't seem very happy - like you would be after picking out an engagement ring. Maybe he really isn't about to propose.

"Are you alright?" I ask, he replies with a smile and a nod. "O-Kay." I hesitate. "Anyway, I was gonna go down to the store to buy groceries for dinner. What do you want?" I ask them looking at the watch on the wall.

"Uh, Spaghetti!" Phoebe exclaims with a jump.

"You got it, Pheebs." I can't help smiling of her energy as a leave the apartment.

I go down to the store across the street and by the ingrediens I need for Spaghetti for 3-6 people - never knowing how many of us are going to be eating at my place. But that's okay, if there's too much; I'll just give it to Joey tomorrow.

5 minutes later, I'm leaving the store. I see Chandler and Phoebe runing out of the building.

"Hey." I call out for them. "Where are you going?"

"We weren't done yet." Chandler calls back as he and Phoebe gets into a cap, with bigger smiles than the fake ones they arrived with.

"Great." I say to myself as I climb the stairs and begin to make dinner.

20 minutes later and halfway finished with dinner; Rachel comes in again.

"Well, now it's over." She states as she sits down.

"Oh, no! What happened?" I turn around.

"I took you advice." She sighs. "And it worked. Of course it worked. The problem was just that he started crying again right after." She rolls her eyes and I laugh. "So, I put some clothes on and said - very gently - 'Sorry Paul, but this isn't working for me anymore.' And then he said 'I understand, but don't forget you made me this way. This is all your fault.' I said 'I know. Goodbye.' And that was it." She sighs.

I take her hand. "Are you alright?" I ask her seriously.

She nods. "I will be. It's not like I ever really thought of marrying him or something. Sure, I put our names down at the museum, but that was just for fun - and because you did it. I mean, we weren't going to be married, but you and Chandler could easily be married in two years." She says not knowing how true her words might be.

The only thing I want to say now, after she has already brought it up, is how I think Chandler might be about to propose. But then I remember all the reasons not to tell, so I don't.

Instead I say. "Hey, I'm making dinner for 3-6 people, you and Joey wanna eat with?"

"Oh Mon, that'd be great, I'll just go over and tell him."

As she's about to leave, Phoebe enters discreetly. "Oh you're here!" She says surprised.

I look at her. "Sure, Pheebs where else would I be?"

She waves her arm. "Urg, I don't know. I just came over to pick up something..." She says as she walks over to her room.

I look at Rachel. "That was weird, right?"

"Naeh, that was just Phoebe." She waves her hand. "Anyway, I'll tell Joey." She says with a smile as we say 'see you in a minute' to each other.

Just after she leaves, Phoebe comes back. "Hey." I say. "What was that all about?"

"Er... What?" She plays dumb. "Uh! You are making spaghetti. I'll go tell Joey." She's gone before I can tell her that Rachel's already over there.

A few minutes pass by, and the spaghetti is now done, before they all come over. They all look at me very moved, as if they know something I don't. I can't help wondering if Chandler might have told them. '_Told them what?'_ The skeptic thought asks. _'There's nothing to tell.'_

"What's going on?" I play dumb.

A few moments go by where they keep looking at me like that. Then Ross realizes that I asked a question. "Oh. Nothing." He replies. "It's just... you made dinner." He smiles very moved. "Can I eat with?"

I roll my eyes of his obvious lie. "Sure. I made enough for everyone anyway." I assure him as all of the 'guests' - including Phoebe - sit down.

I start cooling the spaghetti down as Chandler approaches me. "I missed you today." He whispers in my ear.

"I missed you, too." I reply as I'm opening the faucet.

"And today kind of made me realize that we haven't spent that much time alone together in the last couple of weeks." He continues. "With Phoebe living here." He adds.

I turn around. "I guess you're right, we haven't."

"So, it made me think... are you free Saturday night?" He's nervous. Way to nervous to be asking his long-term girlfriend out on a date. _'He's gonna do it Saturday._' The hopeful thought thinks_. 'Do what_?' The skeptic one replies.

"You know I'm working Friday this week... So, yeah, I'm free Saturday. Why?" I play along.

He looks down. "I just thought... Maybe... We could have a date-night." He's still nervous.

"Sure. It's a date." I reply as I'm putting the spaghetti on the table - the others haven't heard a thing.

As I'm waiting for Saturday I begin to let myself think about the maybe proposal. There's just so many signs; The engagement brochure, Phoebe and Chandler's disappearance all Sunday, all of the moved faces, the date. Everything just points to a proposal.

But I won't let myself believe it one hundred procent; so I don't tell anyone. This is just in my own mind, and I try not to start preparing the wedding already - even though it's hard.

Before I know it, it's Saturday - I might be wearing a ring tonight.

Everybody comes over for breakfast - as usually. When we're done I realize that the trash can is full, not wanting to prospone mess, I of course take it outside.

When I come back, they're all sitting on the couch looking at something_ 'Maybe a ring.'_ The hopeful thought thinks. Phoebe tells me 'Hello' as I'm walking towards my bedroom, but she sounds like she has something in her mouth. _'Maybe a ring.'_ The thought repeats.

As I reappear to go to the bathroom; Chandler says 'Hello' and now he sounds like he has a ring in his mouth. '_If that's true, he practically kissed Phoebe.'_ The skeptic thought says.

After this weird experience, they all go to work. Well, except Joey... And me, I've got the day off.

At lunch, we all meet up at Central Perk for coffee. At the point where Rachel arrives, we're only missing Ross.

She asks us if we can go to a benefit tonight. Chandler gets very offensiv when she seems to have forgotten that we're going out tonight. Of course, I think I know why. I mean I wouldn't like it if my friends had forgotten that I was going to propose that evening.

She does take it back quickly, I'll give her that.

I feel like it'd be weird if I didn't comment on such an obvious cue. So, I ask. "What's the big deal?" With my best acting.

He clearly doesn't know what to say, so he comes up with a lame excuse. "I just... I just get mad, when Rachel don't remember where we're going."

Then, of course, Joey needs to ask. "Where are you going?" Totally uncalled for when Chandler has just explained it.

Rachel then goes on to ask the others. Both Phoebe and Joey agree to come, but when Ross arrives he tells us that he can't; because he has a date with Elizabeth.

We then go on to talking about their relationship, and where it's going. He seems rather taken by surprise when we all agree that she might be a little too young.

After Joey makes a stupid joke the subject dies down. We drink our coffees and go back to work - Me and Joey: home.

That night as I'm getting ready - Chandler in Phoebe's room, so he really can get the 'woaw-factor' when I come out - I can't help being a little bit scared that he might not propose. Over the last week, I've let myself think about it, because of all the signs, but what if it was just all fake signs? I'm really up for it now, and I would be so dissapointed if he didn't. _'So much for the 'Not Pete Fiasco' plan.'_ The skeptic thought comments.

However, all of me doubts go away when a enter the living room. They are all here. Moved looks in their eyes. They wouldn't be here if something wasn't up. And I think Chandler knows that this is a sign, because he seems rather irritated.

However, he still gets the 'Woaw-factor' when he sees me. "You look beautiful." He tells me. And I do. I'm wearing a salmon pink spaghetti-strapped dress that finishes just abouve my knees and high-lights my whole body.

"Mm. Thank you." I reply, touching his arm. They then all look at us, very moved. So, again I feel like I have to ask. "What's going on?" I ask in a sing-song voice as I can't stop smiling, because I know 'what's going on.'

Rachel explains that it's because of the charity event they're going to, and to keep up my act; I play along. We all leave together.

At the resturant - my favorite by the way (_'Nice touch, Chandler.')_ \- we're getting seated right away. Chandler orders champagne - my favorite by the way (_'Nice touch, Chandler.')_ \- and I'm checking up on my make-up.

He starts to hit his jacket, almost panically in search of something. I think '_you idiot, you didn't forget the ring, did you?_' before before he cluchess his chestpocket with a sigh.

"What are you doing?" I ask knowing that is what would be expected.

His excuse is one of the stupidest I have ever heard. "One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all." Then chuckles. "I remembered it. The champagne is here." And it is.

I'm starting to feel like he's way to nervous, so I ask. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm good." He assures me. "Are you good? Are you good? Is everything, are you- are y- you perfect, perfect?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." Tell him, then I see my oppotunity to just get him to do it. "I'm actually, I'm a little cold, though. Can I borrow your jacket?" So innocent, I'm brilliant.

"Oh, yeah." He's about to give it to me, but then he seems to remember something, maybe a ring. "Uh, no, you can't have my jacket. Because then _I_ would be cold. If you thought you were gonna be cold, you should have brought your own jacket." Then he realizes that he sounds like a jerk. "Other than that, are you okay, are you okay?" He rambles on again.

I try to provoke him again. "You're sure you're okay?"

This time it seems to work, because he suddenly starts smiling and becomes serious.

"Yes. I'm fine." He reassures me. "In fact, I've been fine for a long time now and I think... the reason is you."

I awe. "That's sweet." Here it comes...

"Okay, um." He clears his throat. "Before I met you I had really little life and I couldn't imagine growing old with-"

"Oh, my God." I interrupts him with no emotion. Richard's here, why is he here? Chandler's about to propose and then he shows up. Typically.

"I know, but just let me say it." Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! He thinks I'm saying 'Oh my God' because I've figured it out.

"Oh, my God, Richard." I quickly adds, before he ruins his own proposal.

He looks at me offended. "What? I'm Chandler." I just give him a pointed look, which he follows. "Oh, that's Richard." He hides his face.

"Oh, God. Maybe he won't see us." I tell both him and myself, then before I can control myself I call out. "Richard!" I regret it immediately, but then I think '_Maybe this'll be good chance to show him that I've won. I mean, here I am, with the same guy I had been seeing for a year a year ago about to get engaged... And he's with, what looks like a first date. How would talking to him for a few minutes hurt anyone?'_

Unfortunally does Chandler not seem to be with me on that thought as he freaks out when Richard and his date approaches us.

"Monica, Chandler." Richard greets us surprised. But the bigger surprise is when Chandler gives him an awkward hug.

"I don't know why I did that." He says as he lets Richard go.

I try to get the awkwardness under control. "Hey, it's- it's good to see you." I tell Richard meaning it, but why did it had to be tonight?

He looks at me. "You, too. You let your hair grow long."

I run my fingers through my hair. "Oh that's right. You always wanted me to. I see you got your mustache back." I notice remembering that he didn't have it last year.

He nods. "Well, my nose got lonely."

Chandler feeling uncomfortable needs to make a joke. "And, uh, you don't have a mustache which is good." He points to Richards date. "I'm Chandler, I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable." He then greets her.

This makes Richard remember his manners. "Oh, I'm sorry. Lisa." He apologies. "Monica, Chandler. We used to date." He adds.

Chandler then feeling the need for another joke. "Richard. No one's supposed to know about us." He gets no response. "See, I did it again." He says to Lisa.

I smile awkwardly and take Chandler's arm. "Chandler, w- why don't we sit down." He sits down with a 'Yeah, I'll sit down.' I turn back to Richard. "It's good to see you." I tell him as the waiter approaches.

"Your table's ready, sir." The tells Richard.

"Oh. Good to see you guys." He tells us as he's about to turn around.

Chandler replies with a releaved. "Yes."

"Or if you prefer this table's available." The waiter tells him.

_'Oh, God. Please don't.'_ I think. '_Chandler's uncomfortable already, and if Richard stays there's no chance what so ever, that he'll propose tonight.'_

But of course, Richard doesn't hear my thoughts. He looks at us. "That might be fun." He says and they sit down.

Over all, it's a very uncomfortable evening. Chandler's extremly uncomfortable and therefore I am, too. Richard keeps telling stories about the time we were together. And I know, that can't be nice for Chandler. I mean if I had to re-hear about the time he ran after Kathy - when she was still Joey's girlfriend - or the time with Janice and the drawer, I wouldn't be pleased.

However, I'm telling the stories with him, to not be rude... and he _is_ an old friend. It's not totally wrong, is it?

Turns out it is.

Chandler doesn't say much on the ride home... and he never proposed. Maybe he wasn't going to do it in the first place, but Richard showing up; clearly didn't help it.

"Fun night." He says at we reach the apartment.

We enter, and it turns out that Ross is here. "Oh, my God. You guys." He jumps up from his chair. Clearly another sign, that something didn't happen tonight, that should've had.

Chandler quikcly stops him. "Before you say anything. We've got a story for you. Guess who we bumped into at dinner." Chandler asks.

Ross being excited and having no clue asks. "Who?"

"Richard!" Chandler answers in a fake-giddy voice.

"Oh. Oh. Oh." Ross' voice is gradually losing excitment having understood.

I change the subject knowing that Chandler don't want to discuss this with me in the room. "I thought you were going out with Elizabeth."

We then procide to have a conversation about how maybe she is too young. He decides he's gonna talk to her, and they might break up. He then leaves.

Not too long after he leaves and Chandler and I are left alone (talking about normal stuff - nope no proposal), Phoebe and Joey comes home just as I'm about to bring out the trash - amazing how it's already full, considering I took it out this morning.

"Oh, my God you're back." Joey exclaims.

"Oh, let me see it. Let me see see your hand."

"Why do you wanna see my hand?" I play along, hoping they'll say something like 'Because you're engaged silly.' That could be so romantic. But Chandler must be giving some kind of signal.

Because Phoebe comes up with an excuse. "I wanna see what's _in_ your hand. I wanna see the trash." I let her look through it. "Ew-w. O- oh, it's all dirty. You should throw this out."

"Yeah." Joey chimes in.

"Okay." I say and go out. I'm so stupid, this could have been such an amazing night, if I hadn't called out for Richard. But I did, and it's all ruined now.

However, I'm now 100 % certain about the fact that Chandler going to ask my to marry him. He might not do it tonight, but he'll do it soon. And that thought keeps me happy.

As I approach the trash chute I realize that some idiot has been stuffing the trash chute with pizza boxes again. So, I have to go down to the basement.

I tell the others about this when I re-enters apartment #20. Joey seems to be the idiot.

Just then Rachel comes in. "Hey. Oh, my God, you're here." She says as she spots us. "Let me see your hand." Her voice is high-pitched as she runs towards me.

This time Phoebe covers the secret up. "No, you're too late. She already took out the trash." Rachel of course have no idea and are very confused.

Chandler then makes a yarn and says that he's tired I follow his example and we go off to bed. As I'm closing the door I get a clear shot of Rachel turning to Joey and Phoebe for an explanation.

I turn to Chandler. "Any regrets for the day?" I ask giving him one last chance.

He looks down. "Well, one." For a moment I think he's gonna propose right now, but then he takes off his shoes and say. "But that's fine. I'll do it another time."

His words are very reassuring and even though I didn't get a ring today, I still feel very happy, and like this is it for the rest og my life.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I wake up the next morning. It's normal, no signs of a proposal what so ever.

After breakfast is Joey asking us if we would like to come down for coffee. Chandler says 'yes' immediately, I would love to join them but I have to take care of the dirty dishes first.

I'm done about 20 minutes after and I decide to go down and meet them.

"Hey, guys." I greet them, they return. "What are you up to?"

Chandler laughs. "Oh just haning it out. Talking about websites." Joey agrees. "Yeah, we saw this really interesting webiste about marriage and how totally unnecessary it is and how it's just a way for the government to keep tabs on you." He explains.

Then Joey, probably not having understood what Chandler is saying at all, comments. "Yeah. Big brother."

"Well, that's a little crazy." I say thinking that maybe this is a new idea of a surprise proposal. "Although I am, you know, glad to hear that you're branching out on what you look at on the internet." I joke adding an _'and in the magazines.'_ In my mind.

"You know, it just got me thinking, though. Why would anybody ever want to get married, huh?" He continues.

I let myself get worked up, reminding him that this is that I want. "Why? To celebrate your relationship. To solidify your commitment. To declare your love for one another to the world." I tell him.

He answers with an "Eh."

I make a face. "Okay, well, that's good to know." I say starting to think he might has changed his mind.

Before we can continue the conversation, Joey's new boat arrives and we move on to that subject. And before you know it, that's the only conversation piece for the rest of the day.

At noon, the next day, is one of the waitresses coming in to the kitchen to tell my, that one of the custumers wants to compliment the chef. I love this, so I let him come in.

Unfortunally, it's Richard.

"Actually, I'm not here to compliment the chef." He says honestly.

"Oh, that's okay." I say dissapointed and with concern for the real reason he has come. "I hate when peolpe come back to compliment the chef." I lie. "Like I have nothing better to do." I pause. "So what's up?" I ask the question I don't want to know the answer to.

"Well, it was great seeing you the other day."

"Yeah, it was good to see you, too." I lie. "Did you come all the way down here just to tell me that?" I ask knowing there must be more to the story.

"No. I came here to tell you something else." He tells me. "I came here to tell you I still love you."

Yep. There it is. The words I didn't want nor expect to hear. I don't know what to say.

"What? Um... What did you... What?" I ask confused.

"I still love you..." He repeats. "And I know I probably shouldn't even be here telling you this."

_'You're right about that.'_ I think.

"I mean, you're with Chandler, a guy I really like... And if yu say he's straight I'll believe you." He continues.

'_That was uncalled for.'_

"But after seeing you the other night I knew if I didn't tell you I'd regret it for the rest of my life. Letting you go was the stupidest thing I ever did."

I'm so confused. Here I am with a guy I once thought was 'The one' and now he tells me he's ready for it all. And I'm with Chandler, a guy who was going to propose to me yesterday. _'Even though he now seems like he isn't.'_ The skeptic thought resurfaces.

I just know that I need Richard out of here so I can think this over. "You know, you're really not supposed to be back here." I say to get him to leave.

Of course, it doesn't help. "Uh, well, you know, I'm sorry." He apologies. "I know this is the wrong time and the wrong place. But I had to tell you. I want to spend my life with you. I want to marry you."

There it is. The words I was so desperate to hear three years ago.

"I want to have kids with you." He adds, knowing that's what really means something to me.

"Oh, my God." I say to myself because I'm actually considering this. Leaving Chandler and run into the sunset with Richard. What the hell is wrong with me?

I need to sit down. "Why don't they put chairs back here?" I'm about to sit down on the stove so I yelp.

He comes over to me. "Look, I know this is crazy, but... Am I too late?" His voice hoping for a 'No. You could never be too late.'

"Well, y-" I say thinking that at this time; it should be too late. However, a part of me is saying 'No.' And that's wrong. I know that. "Yes, you're too late. I mean, where was all this three years ago?" I ask because that was the time I wanted to hear this.

He looks around. "Well, I know, I was an idiot... And I tried to forget you. I- I _really_ did. You know, after we had lunch last year I spent six months in Africa trying to get you out of my head."

Africa? Huh, wonder why Dad never told me about that. "What were you doing in Africa?"

"Working with blind kids." He explains.

Wow. That's so nice of him. "Oh... What are you doing to me?" I turn around. "Oh, look... I'm sorry, but, um... It's... This is not going to happen." I finally say.

He shruggs. "Okay, that's fine. I'll walk away, and I'll never bother you again but _only_... If you tell me that Chandler's willing to give you everything I am." He has to try one last time.

I need to assure him of this. To make him go away. "Well, he is." I say that at least it was true yesterday. "Yeah, I mean... Marriage is all he talks about." Okay, crossing the line to lying. "Oh, my goodness. In fact, _I'm_ the one that's making _him_ wait." I say to convince him.

He doesn't fall for it. "You are?"

"Yeah." I lie.

"Why?" He knows I'm lying.

"Why?" I need an excuse and the first thing that comes to mind is the conversation I had with Chandler yesterday. "Because of the government." He rolls his eyes and I continue. "Well, there you have it. He wants marriage. You can go now." I need him to leave.¨

"Okay." He walks over to the door. "But if you - or he - ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

I'm making my lips to a line and nod. He leaves.

The minute he's gone I fall down. I'm sitting in a fetal position for a few minutes untill I realize that something smells burned. I get up and continues my job. I have to talk to Chandler, I seriously need to talk to Chandler. Luckily, I'm meeting him for lunch in less than an hour.

The hour feels like an eternity but at one point it's over. I change my clothes.

I meet up with Chandler at a nearby pizzaplace.

"Hey." He greets me with a kiss.

"Hey." I say back. "You look nice."

"You, too." He responses. "Did you have a nice day?" He then asks.

Should I tell him about Richard? I probably should, but I don't want to ruin our second date in 2 days with Richard. "Yep. Great. And you?" I ask to get the conversation on him.

"It was great so far." He tells me. "Should we go in?"

I nod and we go in.

We order one pizza to share and as we're waiting we talk about his day. I'm getting all of my courage together, to ask him about the words he said yesterday. To be clear on the fact that he really does want to marry me. It takes me untill halfway through the pizza.

"So, that marriage stuff that you were saying yesterday you don't really believe that, do you?" I ask.

"Sure, I do." He nods. _'What are you doing Chandler? Did I really make you change your mind in one night?'_ "In fact, I think the whole concept of marriage is unnaturel. I mean, look at pigs. Let's take a second here and look at pigs. Okay, pigs don't mate for life. I mean, a pig can have, like a hundred sexual partners in a lifetime and that's just an ordinary pig not a pig that's good at sports." He rambles.

"Wait a minute." Why did his mind change so much in one night? Two days ago, he was ready to propose. A year ago, he was ready to get married in Vegas. A year and a half ago, he was ready to get engaged because he didn't want to lose me. But now, after one night with Richard, I've scared him off. What the hell is wrong with me? "Are you honestly telling me that- that you may never want to get married?" I'm getting worried now.

He just keeps eating. "Well, never say never, but, you know, probably, um... yeah never." He says.

I can't believe this. He seems so sincere and like it's no big deal. "Oh. My God. Th- th- then, what are we even _doing_? I mean, what is this?" I'm starting to get angry.

He's surprised. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is all this pressure? Is this some new kind of strategy? Why don't you put down your copy of the '_rules_', huh, man-trap?"

I can't take it anymore. "You know what? I got to go." I get up and leave. Maybe I've read all of the signs wrong, maybe he really wasn't going to propose.

I run home. Angry and sad. I just want to talk to Rachel, get this whole mess out of my system. So, I go into her apartment.

Joey is sitting the the living room. "Hey, Monica." He greets me.

I'm annoyed, so I'm not very polite. "Have you seen Rachel... Or a mirror?" I adds because oh God he looks stupid in that sailor's uniform.

He looks down on this dressing. "This is for my boat." He explains. "Pretty cool, huh?"

I agree knowing I must sound like a jerk. "Yeah, it's great." I say in a sad voice.

"Whoa, whoa, what's the matter?" He asks me concerned. "Talk to the captain." He points to himself.

I debate it quickly with myself. Then decide to go for it. "I'm just having one of those days where you realize you're in a dead-end relationship."

He nods. "Chandler giving you a hard time, huh?" He asks.

I continue complaining. "It's not like I want to get married _tomorrow_. It's just I'd like to believe that I'm in a relationship that's going somewhere, that I'm not just wasting my time."

Joey shakes his head. "Well, you know Chandler." He states.

"No, I _don't_ know Chandler... Not anymore." The Chandler I thought I knew wouldn't change his mind like that from one day to another. "It's like... It's like something's changed." I'm getting very sad.

"Maybe _you_ changed." Joey chimes in.

"I didn't change." Now I'm angry.

"Then maybe that's the problem." He says in his 'smartvoice.'

I don't understand anything. "What?"

"Chandler is a complex fellow one who is unlikely to take a wife." He's defending Chandler.

"Well, what does he think? That I'm just gonna wait around for nothing?"

"Monica, face it, Chandler is against marriage an- and always will be." Joey's very calm.

If what he's saying is true, if I really changed Chandler's mind like that. Then I don't know if that's something to stay for. "Yeah, well, there's some people who _do_ want to marry me." I tell him as I'm walking towards the door.

"There are?" Joey almost laugh.

"Yeah. Richard." I tell him.

Joey isn't smug anymore. "Ri- Ri. Richard said he wants to marry you?" He asks for confirmation. I nod. "And Chandler's telling you how much he hates marriage?"

I nod again. "That's right."

"Chandler loves marriage!" Joey yells. Probably so I won't go to Richard's, but I won't fall for that.

"You just told me that he hates marriage, th- that he's... a complex fellow who's unlikely to take a wife." I'm yelling too now. "Th- that he's against marriage and always will be.

"You got _that_ from what I said." Joey asks dumb.

I run out of there before he can say anything else. Knowing that I can't trust anything he says now, as he's just trying to buy time.

I run down to the street and into a cap, not knowing where I want to go. But the cap-driver needs an adresse and without thinking I'm giving him Richard's.

10 minutes later I'm standing at Richard's front door, knocking.

He opens the door. "Hi." I greet him.

He looks at him, puts his hands in his pockets. "Hi." He returns.

"I don't know what I'm doing here." I say and it's true I have no idea. I do however hope to find out.

"I didn't ask." He understands. "Do you want to come in?"

"I don't know." I shouldn't.

"Oh, okay." He says. "Well, I'll just leave the door open and go sit on the couch." Which he does.

I need to complain to someone who's a hundred procent on my side so I follow him. "Chandler is such an idiot." I start.

He gets up from the couch. "Drink?" He asks wanting to hear all of it.

"Yeah. I'll have a scotch on the-" I start knowing I should have said 'No' as I'm closing the door.

"-Rocks with a twist." He finishes. I'm moved that he can remember it. "I remember."

I give him a little smile and walk over to the couch area. "You're still smoking cigars?" I ask as I see a cigar on the coffee table.

"No, no. That's art." He lies as he's making my drink. "If it bothers you, I can put my art out." He adds knowing I'd never fall for that.

I laugh. "No, that's okay." I sit down.

"So, Monica." Richard says with his back to me. "Let me ask you a question. You know, since we broke up do you ever... Think about me?"

I think and decide to give him an honest answer. "Yeah, actually, I thought about you a coulpe of months ago." It's true. I did.

"Oh, really?" He seems surprised and pleased.

I need to clearify. "Yeah, but it's 'cause I had an eye exam and I don't like my new eyedoctor."

To that he seems less pleased. "Who is it?"

"Edward Nevsky." I tell him.

"Yeah, he's no good." He says knowing the other eyedoctors in the city. "Do you ever think about me in a... Non-eye-doctor way?" He then asks.

Again, I give him an honest answer. "No."

"Ah." He says, thinking I'm not into him.

I feel like I need to give him something more. "Because getting over you was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do and I never let myself think about you." Well, it's true. I haven't wanted to think about him for a long time, but it's still true.

My drink is finished and I ask for a coaster, then walk around with the drink as he's making his own.

"I miss this apartment." I tell him truthfully. "Now, this is a grown-up's apartment." I mean, it should be. He's a grown-up. "I should be with a grown-up. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah. You're saying you need to be with someone more mature." He walks over to me. I nod. "Maybe someone with a license to practice medicine... Or a mustache." He says pointly.

"You right. Let's face it." I say as I'm putting down my drink on the coaster. "I'm not a kid anymore. I need to be with someone who wants the same things that I do. Coming to my place of work and telling me you love me. I want that. Talking about pig sex over lunch. I don't want that." I say disgusted with Chandler's behaviour at lunch.

"I think that's fair." Richard admits.

I'm already kind of yelling but that comment makes my what to yell more. "'Fair?' Please, don't even talk to me about fair. Fair would have been you wanting to marry me back then. Or fair would be Chandler wanting to marry me now. Believe me, nothing about this is fair." I starts repeating 'Nothing' a lot of times. Richard sees that I need to calm down and pulls me into a hug. "Nothing." I say one last time.

As he's hugging me, I suddenly realize, this is wrong.

A grown man in his 50's going after- no pining after - a girl in her 20's. And not just any girl. No, a girl he has known since she was two years old. A girl who's diapers he probably has changed. A girl who once peed in his pool. Isn't that on the line to being a pedophile?

And this girl, also have a boyfriend. And she still went to an old boyfriend's apartment knowing he still loved her.

This is all wrong.

I came here to see if there was still something here, I realize. I also realize that there isn't, and I've known that since our lunch last year.

I need to get out of here.

I pull back, disgusted with myself and the way he looks at me. "I don't know. I don't know. Um..." _'How to tell you it's not going to happen.'_ My mind finishes.

"I know." He says believe my thoughts are in af completely other place than they are.

"I- I... I have to figure some, you know, some stuff... Before I can..." '_tell you.'_

"Yeah, I understand." He nods. "Take as much time as you want. Ten, even twenty minutes if you need it. I'll be here... not smoking." He smiles, thinking he has won.

I gather my stuff, take one last look at the apartment knowing it's the last time I'll ever be here. And leave.

I take a cap home, hoping Chandler isn't there. Even though, I don't want to be with Richard it doesn't mean that I've forgiven Chandler.

I'm lucky. He's not here. Nobody is.

I go to my bedroom, pack up some clothes quickly. I need to get out of here, I can't face Chandler. Two minutes later, I'm locking the door behind me.

Just when I'm about to go down the stairs Joey comes out.

"Oh, Monica. Thank God." He says. "Wait a minute... what are you doing with that suitcase?" He asks noticing the suitcase. "You're not going to Richard's, are you?" He's scared.

I look at him. "No!" I admit. "That was stupid and so was our whole relationship, I see now. No, I'm going to my parents'. I can't be near Chandler." I tell him. "Feel free to tell him that, just include that he shouldn't call." I'm angry.

"What happened?" Joey asks. "Is it just because he said he didn't want to marry you? Because he was gonna propose the day before yesterday, at the restaurant.

I'm starting to get mad at Joey. "Do you think I don't know that?!"

He's very surprised. "You knew?"

"Yes, of course I knew. I'm not that dumb, there was so many signs." I tell him. "No, the problem is that he clearly don't want to marry me now. I've scared him off, in one night. I can't be like a guy like that." I explain.

"Monica." He takes my hands. "He does want to marry you. It was his plan. To throw you off, because he realized it was very clear. And he wanted you to be surprised. That's why he said all of those things. He was gonna propose next week."

"Really?" I ask calmly Joey nods. "Well, that was a stupid plan." Again Joey nods. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do." I take action. "I can't take this any longer, so I'm just gonna have to do it. You're gonna call the others, tell them what's going on and tell them to come - And change your clothes, you look too stupid, you can't ruin the pictures."

He looks taken a back but then nods. "You got it."

"I'm gonna light a lot of candles in the apartment." I continue to myself as Joey has already left. "This going to be good."

It turns out that Phoebe and Rachel are just downstairs so they come up rather quickly, Joey couldn't get to Ross, so he's not here. They help me light the candles. Luckily, do Phoebe has a lot in her room. So we aren't short on candles.

We light them in silence, so it gives me a lot of time to plan out my proposal speech. How I never thought I'd be lucky enough to fall in love with my bestfriend, and how I feel like he's the only one for me.

With three peolpe lighting on candles, it's fast. By the time Joey comes over - out of the horrible uniform - we're already done.

"Okay." I say. "This is it." They all smile and give my hugs. I get an idea. "Hey, Chandler wanted this to be a surprise, right?" They nod. "Then let's give him a surprise. You all go over to your place, then when he comes home Joey'll go out with the trash... and tell him I've left. That way he'll be surprised. What do you think?"

Rachel hugs me. "I can't believe your going to ask Chandler to marry you." She's very emotional.

"Me neither." Phoebe joins the hug.

For once Joey is the only one to think. "Sounds great, Mon, but he'll be here soon, so we got to go." He pushes us away from each other.

"You're right." Rachel breaks free. "Good luck, Mon." The others repeat, I thank them as they leave.

I sit down to wait, barrely two minutes go by before I hear someone talking in the hall-way. I stand up and before you know it Chandler enters. His face very sad.

However, he lights up as he takes a look through the apartment and see nothing but candles. "You wanted it to be a surprise." I say.

He looks back at Joey, not understanding. Joey gives him a look that says 'It's really happening.' and close the door. "Oh, my God." Chandler says as he approaches me.

This is it, the moment I have been preparing for ever since Joey told me the truth.

I fall down on one knee, laughing over the fact that I have to do this.

"Chandler," I start. "In all my life I never thought I would be so lucky..." I am starting to lose it, it's too emotional. "As to fall in love with my best... My best... There's a reason why girls don't do this." I cry as I'm losing it completely and my voice is breaking.

He falls down next to me. "Okay, okay. I'll do it." He rescues me. "I thought..." He's losing it too. "I can do this." I chuckle, of this whole situation. "I thought that it mattered what I said or where I said it. But then I realized that the only thing that matters is that you... you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And if you let me I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way." He takes out the ring from his pocket, he has had it with him, I chuckle again. "Monica, will you marry be?" He finally asks.

There it is. The words I've been waiting for, from the man I've been waiting for. And there's no doubt in my mind, when I say. "Yes."

He smiles and slides the ring on my finger. Our lips meet in a loving kiss followed by a hug.

"I knew you were likely to take a wife!" I cry out Chandler seems a little surprised by that comment but pulls me into another hug.

Joey must've heard my comment because he wants to come in. "Can we come in yet?! We're dying out here."

"Come in! Come in!" I call to him and he enters with Rachel and Phoebe. "We're engaged!" I tell them. Even though that's probably a given, they all cheer and we have a group hug.

"Oh, this is the least jealous I've ever been." Rachel comments.

"Oh, no, wait!" Phoebe stops us from laughing. "No!" This is wrong!" '_Seriously, Pheebs? What's up?_' I think. Then thankfully she explains. "Ross isn't here!"

We all look at each other. She's right. "Oh, hell, he's done this three times! He knows what it's about!" Rachel reminds us and we hug again.

"He should still be here." Phoebe states.

Rachel agrees. "Why don't we go over to his apartment to see if he's there?" She asks Phoebe and Joey.

Phoebe agrees but Joey looks at her. "Why do we need to be three people to do that?" He asks, not having caught on to Rachel's sugqestion.

Phoebe takes his arm. "Because maybe the happy couple would like some time alone." Phoebe explains as they leave.

I laugh and turn to my fiancé. "Hey." I say simply.

"Hey." He replies. "She planed a proposal." He says.

I chuckle. "It's your stupid 'throwing-me-off-the-tracks' idea. Although, I had caught onto it, so if you wanted it to be a surprise, then it was a good idea. I was very surprised when Joey told me." I tell him.

"You figured it out?" He asks. "I knew they were too obvious."

"That and... I found the ring brochure." I admit, he's turing pale.

"Oh... So you saw the..."

"The magazine?" He looks down totally embarrassed. "Yeah, I saw that. But Chandler I don't really care, okay, that's a part of you to look at naked women. And to be frank, I'd rather have you looking at pictures than the real deal."

"I don't." He assures me of what I already know. "Wait a minute." He stops smiling. "Did you know I was going to propose when you called Richard?"

"Well, yeah." I admit and I can tell that he's hurt. "But I just thought we could talk with him for a couple of minutes, to tell him that I had won, I didn't know he was going to sit down." I assure him. "And then he showed up at my work and told me he loved me and wanted to marry me. All while you said it was the absolute last thing you would do. I was upset. So, I went over there, I guess Joey told you about that."

He nods. "Yeah." He's not very happy.

"I just needed to complain about you to someone who would be on my side, none of our friends would. But I realized how wrong it is that he still loves me, so I got out of there." I take a deep breath.

"I'm not mad." He tells me calmly. "I've clearly won, right?" I nod. "Besides, he's actually a good guy. I also went over there." He admits. "And he told me to go get you and if I did, I should ever let you go, because that hurts like hell. And I'm not planing on it." He adds and I awe. "Hey, do you want to dance?" He asks as he takes my hand.

"Sure." I reply knowing we've talked enough about this for now.

Chandler turns on the radio and we start to dance.

The others take a long time coming back, but they do eventually.

"He wasn't there." Rachel tells us.

"We left note, telling him to come and bring champagne." Phoebe continues.

"And a 3 Musketeers Bar." Joey finishes.

We all laugh. Then, right then. I just can't contain it anymore, I need the world to know that I'm engaged the Chandler Bing.

I tell the others this and run out on the patio. I yell that I'm engaged over and over again, which feels amazing. So, does knowing it's to Chandler.

I stay out there untill Ross comes over 20 minutes later, and some stupid guy is telling me to shut up.

Chandler comes out to get me, then very quickly tells New York that he's the one I'm engaged to, before he pulls me inside.

**XXXXXXX**

**Let me know what you think.**


	2. Planing A Proposal

**This was originally supposed to just be a One-shot, but I got inspired to write the story from Chandler's point of view, too. So, this is it.**

**The story start before, because Chandler's proposal thoughts start before Monica's.**

**I feel like it's unnecessary to say, but I'll say it anyways: This part of the story are in Chandler's POV.**

**... And I own nothing - other than his thoughts, because I made them up.**

**XXXXXXXX**

I'm sitting in the kitchen, of mine and Monica's apartment, reading the paper. I'm home alone right now, but Monica should be home any minute now. I'm in the middle of reading an article about cultural events in New York, when the phone rings.

_"You've reached Monica and Chandler's."_ My own voice sounds on the receiver. _"If you're listening to this message, we're probably screening."_

"Yeah, we are." I joke to myself as the machine beeps.

A new female voice sounds on the phone. _"Hi."_ She says and I listen with a half ear. _"This is Hildy from the Morgan-Chase museum. I'm calling for Monica Geller."_ Because no one ever calls for me. _"I want to let her know that there was a cancellation and if she's still interested in having the Bing-Geller wedding..."_ That gets my attention. _"... In out facility."_ I get up and run over to the phone. _"It is available..."_

More she doesn't get to say before I answer the phone in panic. "This is Chandler Bing! This is Chandler Bing!" I yell into the phone.

_"Oh, the groom?"_ She asks over the phone.

"Yes, the groom." I tell before realizing what I am saying. "No, not the groom!"

_"I'm confused."_ She says and I understand her. "_Are you or are you not the groom of the Bing-Geller wedding?"_

That gets me thinking. Whatever this Hildy person has heard it must come from a place, and wasn't that Lesbian/Sandwich museum that the girls went to yesterday at the Morgan-Chase museum? So, clearly Monica has been there yesterday. Maybe she did really tell some Hildy woman that we're getting married. The thought alone freaks me out.

But then a little voice in my head, probably the same one who made me break up with Aurora all those years ago, the voice who wants commitment, starts to remind me that I love Monica very dearly and strongly and that I've wanted to marry her before. Last year in Vegas and a year and a half ago when I was sorry. Those times either she or I, or both, weren't ready, but now it clearly sounds like Monica is ready. So, am I?

The answer isn't a direct "No!" so, clearly it's something I need to think more about. So, it's probably not a good idea to shut down the spot at the Morgan-Chase museum right away, it must be a good place if Monica put our names down.

"Can I call you back?" I ask Hildy and she tells me that it's not a problem and gives a callback number.

I walk back over to the kitchen and sit down on a chair, starring at the phone, not believing what have just happen and how I might feel about it.

I get pulled out of my thoughts when the door opens and Monica comes in. "Hi, Honey." She greets me like nothing has happened. Right then I know, that I can't figure this out while being in the same room as her.

So I get up. "See ya later." I say, in a voice more freaked out than I would like it to be, as I make my way towards the door.

"Wait, I- bought groceries. I was going to make you dinner." She shows me her shoppingbags with a smile.

"Well, next time, ask." I tell not really talking about dinner. "Or, at least wait for me to aks." I add as I leave.

I run down the stairs faster than I have done before, I just need to get out somewhere where I can think. The way I normally do this is just walking around town, so that's just what I'll do. I walk around the block, when I reach the magazine stand my eyes fall on a small brochure with engagement-rings. I get a sudden feeling of needing to buy that brochure, of getting that inspiration. So, I do it.

After I go home, ready to face Monica, unfortunally, she isn't home. So, instead I decide to look over the brochure, really see what's 'in' in the engagement ring category this season. I do, however, decide to do it in the bathroom, in case Monica comes home.

So, there I am, reading an engagement-ring brochure, when Phoebe opens the door to the bathroom.

"Oh, My God! Sorry!" She screems but doesn't close the door, because her eyes have fallen on the brochure. "What are you reading?" She pulls it out of my hands. "Engagement-rings? What are you doing with thi... you're going to propose!" She states more than asks.

"Maybe." I admit. "I don't know... But could you maybe give me a minute?" I ask referring to the fact that I'm on the toilet.

"Oh, sure." She says and if it had been anyone else, their face would turn red, but it's Phoebe, so it doesn't.

"Okay, this just got real." I say to myself as I finish before walking out to the livingroom and facing the dragon.

"Maybe you're going to propose?" She asks as she sees me. "And where have you been? Monica just came runnig in at the coffee house loking for you."

"I just walked around." I answer the easy one of her questions her eyes tell me to not try and avoid the first question. "And... maybe. Some Hildy woman called and told me I was getting married at the Morgan-Chase museum and it just got me thinking, maybe we should." I shrug.

"Maybe you should? Well, Monica was totally freaked because she thought you were freaked out." She tells me.

"Oh, no." I sigh. "I hope it isn't too bad."

"Well, maybe use this." She shrugs. "Tell Monica you're totally freaked out and then she'll be surprised once you propose."

"That might be a good idea." I nod. "I really should call Hildy back, I said I would."

"Good idea." She nods. "And then, maybe, go see the place, it really is beautiful." She encourages me.

I nod as I dail the number Hildy gave me. "Yes. Hi, this is Chandler Bing calling for Hildy." I say when somebody answer and I'm being asked to hold. "Yes. Hi, Hildy. This is Chandler Bing... yes the groom of the Bing-Geller wedding. I was thinking if I could come down and see the place?... Yes, I can do that... Great see you in 20 minutes." I hang up and turn to Phoebe. "I'm going down there now before closing. Do you want to come?"

"I would." She says. "But I promised Joey I would go with him to the drycleaner to see his photo, it's up again." She smiles.

"Fine, you do that." I smile knowing that Joey would be sad if she cancelled. I take the brochure from knowing she can't be trusted with such an evidence. I take it with me back to the bathroom and hide it in between the pages of the porn magazine I bought earlier this week, the one Monica doesn't know I have, after that I put the magazine back under the fancy quest towels, knowing that Monica never looks there. I tell Phoebe bye as I leave.

20 minutes later, I'm standing in front of the Morgan-Chase museum.

"Chandler Bing." I female voice sounds on my left.

"Hildy?" I ask and she nods. She takes me inside and tell me all about the architecture of the building and the ideas Monica had for the reception, one of which is having the band The Starlight Magic Seven play. It truely is a very beautiful place.

As I'm going home, I no longer have doubts about if this will be the right thing to do. I know I love Monica and I know she, for some unknown reason, loves me, too. And know it seems like she really wants to marry me. _'I won't become crazy snake man._' I think with a smile as I climb the stairs.

I take a deep breath before entering the the apartment, going into full panicking mode.

Monica stands in the livingroom, she is clearly worried about me as she lets out a relieved sigh as she sees me. "I'm so sorry." She apologies immediately as she approaches me. "Please stop freaking out." She says in a slow calm voice.

"I'm not freaking out." I tell her the truth disguised as a lie. "Why would I be freaking out?" I say in the same panicked voice as I move further into the aparment. "A woman named Hildy called to say we were getting married but that happens every day. WAH-AHHH-AHHH!" I add the scream to make it more believable.

She truely looks sorry, when she looks at me. "Honey, we were at this beautiful place and I just put our names down for fun. I mean, what's the harm in that?" She cries.

"Right here." I put a hands up to my ears and cluck.

She gathers courage. "Chandler, please don't think I was trying to pressure you." She tells me and I'm touched that she knows exactly how I normally would feel in this situation. "Phoebe and Rachel just thought that..."

"Phoebe and Rachel...?" I interrupt her. "So the people that knew about our wedding before me were you, Phoebe and Rachel, Hildy, and apparently some band called The Starlight Magic Seven who are available, by the way." I tell her having a blast with teasing her like this, I hide my head in my hand to hide a smile, before looking up again.

"It was a mistake." She assures me. "Please don't take this to mean anything because it doesn't."

I am incrediable touched of how well she knows me, and I can see that she really does mean that she'll wait for me untill I'm ready. It makes me love her even more, even though it should be impossible.

"Okay." I finally say and her smile in return confirms everything I thought.

"Really?" She asks to be sure.

"Yes, if it really doesn't mean anything because you know that I'm just not ready..."

"I know." She interrupts me and put her hands on my shoulders. "I know." She hugs me and I smile behind her back, thinking of how ready I feel right know. She pulls back. "Okay, now I'm going to go tell Joey that you're back. He was really worried about you." She grins.

I watch her leave, like I always do when she leaves a room, and the second she has closed the door behind her, my face breaks into a grin.

That's when Phoebe appears from her room. "Hey, did she buy it?" She asks.

"Totally." I smile.

"So did Hildy show you the place?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful."

She smiles now, too. "I can't believe you're going to asks Monica to marry you." She giggles happily.

"I know." I say as we hug.

"This is so great." She says again as we pull away.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A week goes by quickly, without neither Phoebe nor I talk about the upcomming events. Untill a Sunday morning where Phoebe and I are alone in the kitchen.

"Hey, Pheebs can you help me pick out an engagement ring for Monica?" I ask her while looking through a newly purchased engagement-ring brochure, the other was no good and stays hidden. "I can't figure this out. It's so hard. Should I get her a Tiffany cut or a princess cut or a... OW!" I cut myself on the paper. "Paper cut!" It hurts like hell.

Phoebe ignores my pain. "Now, have you told anyone else?" She asks.

"No. I don't want to tell anybody else because I don't want Monica to find out." I answer knowing that once everybody knows, then Monica'll know soon enough, too.

"You told me." She states while getting a water from the fridge.

We joke a little about why I told her untill Ross and Joey comes in. "Hey." We all greet as I'm hidding the brochure in my pocket. Before Phoebe gets us out of there.

"So, Chandler, want to go to the coffee house?" I agree, of course, to get out of there and buy that ring.

"Perfect. We were just going to see if you wanted to go." Ross tells us.

"Oh, well, we don't 'cause we got the other place." I say nervously in order to get him to leave us alone before leaving with Phoebe.

We go down down-town and look through mutliple stores, but nothing really seem to speak to me. Many hours later, in what seems like the nine millionth ring, Phoebe suggets that since I can't find a ring, then maybe I should give her something else, like an engagement bracelet or an engagement Tiara... or, because she's Phoebe, an engagement revolutionary war musket.

"Can't you just imagine getting down on one knee and handing her this gorgeous piece of weaponry?" She asks and I can't believe this is who I picked to come with me to buy a ring.

"Yeah, I'm going to stick with the ring." I state the obvious. I look furthur in the store and I see a ring I actually find very nice. "Oh, this one's nice." I call out for Phoebe. "I like this one. Sir, uh, kind sir." I call for the jeweler in the store. "Can I see this one?"

"Wait a minute." Phoebe approaches me. "This is the reason you brought me, okay? I know how to haggle so let me handle this form here on out."

"Can I help you." The jeweler comes over to us.

"Uh, yes." I say. "I would like to see that ring, please." I point to the one beautiful ring in the store.

"Or not. Whatever." Phoebe snaps, already in haggling mode.

"This ring is from the 1920s." The jeweler explains. "It's a 1h-carat diamond with sapphires on either side."

I look at it closer, it really is beautiful. There's only one thing I can think of to make sure it's the right one. "Sir, could I ask you to, um, could you hold out that ring and ask me to marry you?" I ask knowing it sounds weird, but it's what I need.

I can tell he thinks it's weird but he agrees anyway. "Okay." He holds up the ring. "Will you marry me?" He asks with no emotion and I know it's the one. I can imagine Monica's face when it's being given to her.

"Oh, my god. That's it. That's the ring." Tears start to form in my eyes. "How much is it?"

"Chandler, I will handle this." Phoebe interferes. "How much is it?" She repeats my words but in an whole other tone.

"$8,600." The man replies, _'uh, a little over my budget'_ I think.

"We will give you ten dollars." Phoebe says in same tone as before and I can't believe she's doing this.

"Are you interested in this ring?" The man asks thinking she might be kidding, no one really thinks they can buy a real diamond ring for ten dollars, right?

"Yes." I push Phoebe aside, enough is enough. "Yes, but I can only pay $8,000."

Fortunally he tells me that he can let it go for $8,000, this is then when I remember that Joey has my credit card.

"I'll go get it. You guard the ring." I instruct Phoebe who are a little down over the fact that her haggling didn't work.

I go home as fast as I can, after all, Phoebe can't be trusted to hold up the fort at a jewelry-store for too long.

"Rachel?" Paul cries as I enter Joey's apartment.

"No." I tell him. "How are you Paul?" I begin to search for the card.

He dries his eyes. "Okay." He comes over to me. "Chandler... Did your Dad ever hug you?"

Well, he clearly doesn't know my father. "No. Did he hug you?" I ask knowing it wouldn't be that unlikely

We have an uncomfortable conversation about dads and hugs, that ends with him hugging me for far too lang. Once I fight myself free, Joey comes and he gets a hug, too.

"Hey- What- what, hey, oh - what?" He screems while Paul hugs him. He asks me what's going on with his eyes, I just reply with a smile and a shrug. "Hi. Paul, is it?" Paul nods.

"Do you hav my credit card?" I ask him.

"Yeah, it's in my... in... in my pocket." He tries to get it up, but Paul's embrace makes it impossible for him. I try to get from his front pocket, feeling very uncomfortable. "My _back_ pocket!" He clearifies.

"Thank God." I say as I get it.

He then asks me if I want to go to a knicks game that evening, but I tell a short "No." Before leaving.

As I walk back into the store, Phoebe holds up a ring.

"I found the perfect ring." She says.

Why the hell did she find another ring? The first one is perfect. "Oh, that's- that's pretty nice." I tell her, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "But I'm going to go with the one I picked first." I walk over to where the ring was before.

"Oh, wake up, Chandler." She calls after me. "The one you picked is gone. It's over!" She sighs.

"What?" I turn around.

"Some guy bought it. I'm sorry." She apologies. "I tried to stop it, but they put me in jail." She points to the jeweler.

I roll my eyes. "They put you in jail?"

"The little jail between the doors." She explains pointing.

"Phoebe, I asked you to guard the ring." I can't believe she did this.

"I know- I'm sorry." She tries again. "But you know, this ring is better, and Monica never even saw the other ring."

"Yeah, but when he proposed to me with the ring I got... Goosebumps." I admit.

"Maybe it was the guy." She shrugs.

"It was the ring." Why does she always have to make 'Chandler's gay' jokes?

I buy ring she's suggesting, because I need a ring and the one she has, is okay. Not perfect, but okay.

We're both quiet on the way home. When we get there Monica gives us a warm greeting.

"Hey." She says as she walks over to hug me. "What have you been up to?"

I sigh and hug her a little bit closer. "Nothing much." I reply and kiss her with a sad smile.

"Are you alright?" She asks having clearly picked up on our mood. I give her a smile and a nod. "O-kay." She hesitates. "Anyway, I was gonna go down to the store to buy groceries for dinner. What do you want?" She asks us looking at the watch on the wall.

"Uh, spaghetti!" Phoebe exclaims with a jump.

"You got it, Pheebs." She smiles as she leaves the apartment.

Phoebe goes into her room and I sit down on the couch looking at the ring.

"Oh - ew - ahrg." I say as I look at it. Phoebe comes back into the livingroom. "I can't believe I let you talk me into buying this stupid, gumball-machine-looking ring."

"It's not a stupid, gumball-machine-looking ring." She disagrees. "It's a beautiful ring."

"No, it's not." I say. "With the other ring I could see Monica's face when I gave it to her, you know? And I could see her saying 'Yes.' When I look at this ring all I see is a ring... Unless I look at it really closely and then... I can see my own eye." I do so, and it's actually kind of funny. "Look, this is the most important thing I'm going to do in my life. I want to make sure it's perfect."

"Okay." She sighs having finally understood. "There may be a way that we could get the other ring back." That gets my attention. "'cause I hears the guy tell the jeweler where he was going to propose. So, maybe we could get him to trade rings or something." She suggets.

I sigh, because it's a little out there. "We can't do that."

"Well." She shrugs. "You certainly can't give her that stupid, gumball ring." So, now she agrees.

"Fine, we'll try." I decide and we leave the apartment in a hurry.

We run out of the apartment building just as Monica leaves the store across the street.

"Hey." She calls. "Where are you going?"

"We weren't done yet." I call back as Phoebe and I get into a cap, with big smiles on out faces.

We arrive at the restuarant shortly after and Phoebe spots the man immediately.

"There he is." She points.

I see him. "Okay, and he hasn't proposed yet bacause she has no ring on her finger." I points and we agree on solving crimes after this. "Okay, go- go- go get him." I push her forward.

"Okay." She puts down her bag and go over to fetch him. I can't hear what she's saying but it must work because he comes quickly. "Here he is." She tells me.

"Hi, hi." I panic a little, I'm very nervous it's not everyday you get to talk a man into giving you a diamond. "Okay, there was a slight mix-up at the jewelry store. The ring you're about to propose with was supposed to be held for me. So, I'm going to need to have that back..." I tell him, he's confused. "But in exchange, I'm willing to trade you this beautiful, more expensive ring." I show him the gumball ring.

"Wow." Phoebe offers. "I would trade."

"It is beautiful but I'm going to use this one." He says. "Now, excuse me." He starts to retreat.

"No, no, see, this is my fiancée." I try another way pointing to Phoebe. "And her heart was set on that ring. You don't want to break her heart, now, do you?"

"Yeah, do you want to break a dying woman's heart?" She asks, because of course she does.

"You're dying?" He asks and Phoebe coughs.

"Yes, she's dying..." I lie. "Of a cough, apparently."

"Yes, and it is my dying wish to have that ring. See, if I'm not buried with that ring then my spirit is going to wander the netherworld for all eternity-"

"Okay, that's enough, Honey." I cut her off, she really doesn't ever know when to stop.

"Uh... I don't know." The man looks back at his girlfriend, then back at us and sees our pouting faces. "Let me see the ring again."

"Great! Okay, here." I show him.

He nods. "All right, I'll do it." Those a the best words I have ever heard from a stranger.

"Thank you. Thank you." I thank him then look over at his girlfriend. "And you are about to marry a wonderful man." I don't even realize what I have said before the man asks me 'WTF' whit his eyes. "Hey, I'm marrying a dead woman." I defend myself and it works I've gotten back his sympathies. I apology and thank him again before Phoebe and I make out way home.

Once we reach home, we split up, Phoebe goes home and I go to Joey's not wanting to lie to them anymore. No, I'm going to tell them.

"Guys..." I say as enter, they don't react, it looks like they decide to watch the game at home instead of going out. "I got something important to tell you." Still no reaction. "Guys? Guys? Guys?" I walk over in front of the TV, still no reaction. Are they mad at me? I decide to just say it. "I'm going to ask Monica to marry me."

Ross stares at me and Joey turns of the TV. "I think we got to end the freeze-out." He whispers to Ross, so apparently they were mad at me.

"Wait a minute." Ross says. "Is th... is this for real?"

I show them the ring. "Yeah. Check ou the ring."

"Oh, my God!" Joey screams.

"So, you two are really serious?" Ross points out.

"Pretty much." I smile.

"Y- you going to get married? I mean... We're going to be brothers-in-law. Come here." Ross hugs me.

"A- a- a- a- and we're going to be friends again." Joey says leaning in for a hug.

I pull away. "What?" So, they're so mad they didn't what to be friends with me anymore? What the hell did I do?

"Water under the bridge. Forget about it." He replies pulling me into a new hug.

"I was going to wait 'till, uh, it was official, you know, but I got so excited I just had to tell yo guys 'cause you're my best friends." I tell them with a big smile.

"I think I'm going to cry." Joey says just as Rachel comes home.

"Oh, no more crying... Please." She groans. "I just dumped one crybaby. I'll dump you, too."

The guys tell me to go tell her. "I'm going to ask Monica to marry me." I tell her the reason Joey's going to cry.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" She gasps. "Oh, Chandler." She hugs me. "You guys are going to be so happy."

"I know." I say, because I do know.

"Where's all the tissue?" Joey cries, Paul must have really cried Rachel out of the house.

"Check out the ring." I take up the box.

"Nice." She says. 1h-carat, easy." She comment correctly, of course, Rachel knows her rings.

"Hey, Pheebs." Ross calls as she comes in. "Chandler's going to ask Monica to marry him."

"Oh, I know, I helped him pick out the ring." She tells him.

Unfortunally, this makes both him and Joey angry, they can't understand how I could tell her and not them. They won't even listen to my excuses, they just go right back to their chairs.

Rachel is the only one who can get them to move, when she tells them that Monica has made spaghetti for all of us.

That gets Joey moving and Ross, too, is hungry so it isn't long before we all come over. We all look at her for several moments before saying anything, and know this must be weird, but I just take in the sight of my soon-to-be fiancée.

"What's going on?" She finally asks.

A few moments go by where we all keep looking at her like that. Then Ross realizes that she asked a question. "Oh. Nothing." He replies. "It's just... you made dinner." He smiles very moved. "Can I eat with?"

She rolls her eyes. "Sure. I made enough for everyone anyway." She assures him as all of the 'guests' - including Phoebe - sit down.

She starts cooling the spaghetti down as I approach her. "I missed you today." I whisper in her ear, beacuse I really did.

"I missed you, too." She replies as she's opening the faucet.

"And today kind of made me realize that we haven't spend that much time alone together in the last couple of weeks." I continue. "With Phoebe living here." I add.

She turns around. "I guess you're right, we haven't."

"So, it made me think... are you free Saturday night?" My voice is nervous. Why does it have to be nervous? It's going to give it up.

"You know I'm working Friday this week... So, yeah, I'm free Saturday. Why?" She asks.

I look down. "I just thought... Maybe... We could have a date-night." I'm still nervous.

"Sure. It's a date." She replies as she's putting the spaghetti on the table - the others haven't heard a thing.

As I'm waiting for Saturday to come around, I spend most of my time trying to come up with the perfect proposal speech, thinking that it's extremely important what you say and where you say it. That's why my plan is to take her to her favorite restuarant and order her favorite champagne, then instead of proposing a toast, I'm just going to propose. It's going to be magical, and exactly like in all the romantic comedies I've seen.

She's going to be so surprised and, because it's Monica, scream yes in a super embarrasing way, but I'm not going to care, because we'll be engaged. That's the plan, that's how it'll happen.

The week passes by too quickly, yet too slowly, and before I now it, it's Saturday - Monica and I are going to have amazing engagement-sex tonight.

Everybody comes over for breakfast as normal that morning. All of their eyes - and mine, too, to be honest - linger at Monica when she doesn't look at them, while they eat. When we're done, Monica take out the trash and we all gather in the couch area. Ross wants to see the ring again, I know it's risky, but I let him see it anyways.

"God, that is the most beautiful engagement-ring, ever." He repeats and everyone else nod.

"Yeah, well, you should know." Rachel jokes. "You've bought, like a billion of them."

"Yeah, you didn't get one." He replies without looking up from the ring.

"Okay." I stop their bickering. "Well, tonight's the big night."

"Hey, how are you going to ask her?" Joey asks and I tell them all about me plan. "Sounds perfect." Joey awes. "You're going to mess it up. Let me do it." He advices me.

"I'm not going to mess it up." I assure him, I have thought this through.

"If she say 'No' can I have the ring?" Phoebe asks taking it from Ross.

"She's not going to say 'No.'" I tell her, what is up with them today? Why are they all so negative.

"If." Phoebe repeats just as Monica comes back in. Phoebe sitting with the ring sees no other way to hide, than put it in her mouth. I'm so lucky to be friends with her. And, of course, she has to make a point about and tell Monica "Hi, Monica." With a muffled voice as Monica goes into out room.

"Give it." I order her.

"It's gone." She says, her voice still muffled.

"Phoebe." I asks again, and gives it to me. Yum - Phoebe drool. Just as I've gotten it back, Monica comes back into the livingroom. I can't come up with anything better that Phoebe, so, I also put the ring in my mouth. And I, too, tells her "Hey." As she disappears into the bathroom.

"We're practically kissing." Phoebe gives my an airkiss. But all I can think of is the Phoebe drool in my mouth.

After this, we all go to work, well besides Joey and Monica - she has the day off. At lunch, we meet up as usually at Central Perk.

At the point where Rachel shows up, we're only missing her and Ross.

"Are any of you guys free tonight?" She asks us after saying 'Hello'. "My boss is hosting this charity event for underprivileged kids and the more people I bring, the better I look. So, Monica? Chandler?" She asks us.

I can't believe it! She knows we have plans. She knows what those plans are. Why would she ask us? "Well, Monica and Chandler can't go." I say through my teeth. "We're going to dinner, remember?"

"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry." Rachel takes back her words, understanding what they mean.

"What's the big deal?" Monica asks, having clearly picked up on something.

Oh, no. How the hell do I get out of this. "I just get mad when Rachel doesn't remember where we're going." I try and I know it sounds super weird, but Monica seems to buy it.

"Where are you going." Joey asks completely uncalled for, I mean, I just said that to Rachel. Both Monica and I give him narrowed eyes looks.

Rachel then goes on to asks Joey and Phoebe. Phoebe agrees because of the open bar, and Joey agrees because of getting money now, so he decide to give something back. Instead of just giving me my money back.

When Ross arrives, Rachel asks him, too. He, on the under hand, doesn't agree, because he's already doing his for the kids - going out with Elizabeth. Monica, because she cares about everyone around her, asks him more about the relationship. Unfortunally, it ends in all of us telling him what we really think about their relationship.

Joey makes a joke, and the subject dies down. We drink our coffees and go back to work.

It is the longest afternoon at work, ever. All I want to do is just to go home, to be with my soon-to-be fiancée, but I know I can't just leave today. So, when the clock turns 4 pm and I'm off, I'm on my way faster than you could say 'Engagement night.'

When it's almost time for our date, Monica kicks me out of our bedroom and tells me to change in Phoebe's room, so I really can get the 'woaw-factor.'

I finish a lot faster than Monica, of course, so I decide to wait for her in the livingroom. As I'm waiting, I rehearse how I'm going to propose. I try in many different ways, but I can't seem to get it right.

While I'm standing there, the others creep in, all dressed up, each of them going to their own events. They look kind of scaring, with the smiles they wear and the way, the way they walk.

"What's going on, Little Elves?" I joke, because they do seem like elves.

"It's the big night." Joey tells me. "We wanted to wish you good luck." Ohhh, okay, that's what's going on.

"Yeah yeah. You have the ring?" Do Ross think I'm stupid?

"Yeah, right here in my pocket." I tap my jacket pocket.

Phoebe gives an excited scream and give me a hug. Only, I think, it's only to take the ring, because that's what's she does.

"Pheebs." I call after her as she pulls away.

"What? Oh. O-op." She plays innocent as she gives me back the ring.

Well, it was nice they came, but they need to get out before Monica comes back. "Okay, now. Will you guys get out of here? I want this to be a surprise and she's goingg to know."

"Yeah, yeah, you guys, get out of here." Ross backs me up, thinking it doesn't involve him.

Anyways, it's too late, because Monica ermerges from our bedroom.

"Hey. Hi, guys." She says as she approaches us.

I turn around and I see her walk the last few meters before getting to us. She is extremely beautiful in her salmon colored dress, that really high-lights all of her curves - Something I very much appreciate. The 'Woaw-factor' has officially been archieved.

"You look beautiful." I tell her knowing how much it means to her to be told.

"Mm. Thank you." She smiles and thouches my arm, then look beside me at the others. I can't even get around to think about how they must look, because I'm too occuppied with taking in her beauty. "What's going on?" She asks through her smile after serveral moments.

"We're just really ex... excited about this charity event we have to go to." Rachel replies in crying and I turn around to give her a smile, too excited to be mad about their behaviour.

She seems to buy it and we all leave the building together.

We arrive at the restuarant, Monica seems very pleased with seeing that it's her favorite, we get seated right away, and I order the champagne.

Monica is checking her make-up, when I suddenly can't find the ring, so I'm tapping all of my pockets untill I finally find it. I sigh.

Unforfunally, Monica has picked up on it. "What are you doing?" She asks me in a voice that clearly says 'you're weird.'

I panic and say the first thing that comes to mind. "One nation, under God. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all." I keep my hand over my chest as the champagne arrives. "I remembered it." I chuckle. "The champagne is here." I gesture to the waiter serving the champagne.

"Are you okay?" She pats my arm.

"Yes, yes, I'm good." I assure her. "Are you good? Are you good? Is everything, are you are y- you perfect, perfect?" I stutter. Why am I so nervous?!

"Yeah. I'm okay." She tells me. "I'm actually, I'm a little cold, though. Can I, can I have your jacket?"

"Oh, yeah." I start to give her my jacket, before seeing the ringbox in my pocket. Shit! How do I get out of that one without her seeing the ring? "Uh, no, you can't have my jacket. Because then I would be cold." This kind of works. "If you thought you would be cold you should have brought your own jacket." Okay, no it doesn't. I seem like a jerk. "But, uh, other than that are you okay? Are you okay?" I panic again.

She chuckle of my weird behaviour. "You're sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." I say firmly. "In fact, I've been fine a long time now and I think... the reason is you." I tell her sincerely.

"Mm, that's sweet." She smile, once again seeing me in a romantic light.

"Okay, um." Okay, this is it. I'm going to do it. You get one shot at this, and my shot is here. I'm doing it. The whole speech I've prepared. I clear my troat. "Before I met you, I had really little life and I couldn't imagine growing old with-"

"Oh, my God." She says and I think she has figured it out.

"I know, but just let me say it."

"Oh, my God, Richard." What! Why is she saying _his_ name.

"What?! I'm Chandler." I tell her offented, not believing she choses now, to say his name. She gives me a 'come on' smile and point with her eyes toward the host-area. I turn around. And there I see, Richard and some woman. What the hell are he doing here, ruining my engagement night. "Oh, that's Richard." I hide my face.

"Oh, God. Maybe he won't see us." Well, at least we're on the same page. "Richard!" She calls right after, so much for being on the same page. I tell her 'what the hell' with my movements but she just shrugs.

Of course he hears us and comes over to us. "Monica, Chandler." He greets us. And I feel so uncomfortable that I just need to give him a hug.

"I don't know why I did that." I excuse myself.

"Hey, it, it's good to see you." Monica tells him with a smile and I can't tell if she's polite or genuine.

"You, too." He looks at her. "You let your hair grow long." How dare he comment on something like that? At least he didn't say she looked beautiful.

"Oh, yeah. That's right." Monica trases her fingers through her long hair. "You, you always wanted me to. I see you got your mustache back." She shoots back, and I seem to vaguely remember that he didn't have it when they had their 'Racketball buddies' relationship.

"Well, my nose go only." He jokes.

I feel very umcomfortable, so I only see one thing to do. "And, uh, you don't have a mustache." I point to Richards date. "Which is good." I laugh awkwardly. "I'm Chandler, I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable." I introduce myself and shake her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Lisa." Richard seems to remember his manners. "Monica, Chandler." He introduce us. "We used to date."

Why did he have to say that? "Richard, no one's supposed to know about us." I joke once again, not really funny. "See, I did it again." I tell Lisa.

"Chandler." Monica takes my shoulders. "W- why don't we sit down." She instructs me more than asking.

"Yeah, I'll sit down." I sit down knowing I have taken it too far.

"It's good to see you." Monica says like you do when you say goodbye to someone. Maybe we are on the same page anyways.

The comes up to Richard. "You're table's ready, sir." He tells him.

"Oh." Richard says half disappointed. "Good to see you guys."

"Yes." I say in a not-really way and smile of their departure.

Then, of course, the waiter has to pick up on us knowing each other. "Or, if you prefer this table's available." He gestures to the table next to ours.

"That might be fun." Richard says and sits down. And before I know it, the tables are pushed together and the night is officially ruined.

I'm so uncomfortable, Monica spends the whole night retelling stories of the time she was with Richard and I keep making my uncomfortable jokes. What was supposed to be one of the best nights in my life, turned out to be one of the worst.

We don't say anything in the car ride home, I never got a change to propose. But I decide to it tomorrow.

"Fun night." I say sarcastically as we reach the apartment.

We enter and, unfortunally, Ross is here. "Oh, my God. You guys." He jumps up from his chair.

I need to stop him before he says something that'll ruin everything. "Before you say anything. We've got a story for you. Guess who we bumped into at dinner." I say with fake enthusiasm.

Ross being excited and having no clue asks. "Who?"

"Richard!" I tell him in a fake-giddy voice.

"Oh. Oh." Ross' voice is gradually losing excitment having understood.

Monica change the subject, probably wondering wath Ross is doing here. "I thought you were going out with Elizabeth."

We procide to having a conversation about his relationship and it turns out that we might be right and she is too young. Monica gives him the advise of weighing the bad stuff up against the good stuff. Apparently, that's how she did when we started going out. That's nice to know, at least there was more good than bad stuff. Turns out, that's not the case between Ross and Elizabeth, so he decide to talk with her and probably break up. He decide to do it immediately and leaves.

Not long after we get left alone (Talking about normal stuff), Phoebe and Joey comes in, just as Monica is about to bring out the trash.

"Oh, my God you're back." Joey exclaims.

"Oh, let me see it. Let me see see your hand." Phoebe takes her hand

"Why do you wanna see my hand?" Monica asks as I'm signing them 'No!' behind her bag

Because Phoebe comes up with an excuse. "I wanna see what's in your hand. I wanna see the trash." Monica lets her look through it and I hide my face, I can't believe what they're saying. "Ew-w. O- oh, it's all dirty. You should throw this out."

"Yeah." Joey chimes in.

Monica buys it and leaves.

"What did you guys just do?" I ask them as they come into the kitchen.

"What happened?" Phoebe asks.

I tell them that Richard showed up, so, I was going to do it tomorrow, but now I'm having second thoughts. They've ruined it. Made it too obvious, and all they have to say for themselves are people who would ask to see a person's hands in entering a room.

"Look, she only suspects something, okay? She doesn't know for sure just throw her off the track." Phoebe advices me.

"That's right. I could throw her off." Phoebe's right, this is doable. "I could make her think that, uh marriage was the last thing on my mind." This can be turned around.

"Yeah, convince her t- that you're scared of commitment." Phoebe picks up what I'm putting down.

"I can do that." I say. "I've had 30 years of practice." Or said another way, my whole life up untill two weeks ago when I decided to propose.

"Hey, being you is finally going to pay off." Joey says and give me a high-five.

Just as our hands part, Monica comes back in and complains about some idiot who keep stuffing the trash chute with pizza boxes. Unsurprisingly, that idiot seem to be Joey.

Just then Rachel comes in. "Hey. Oh, my God, you're here." She says as she spots me and Monica. "Let me see your hand." Her voice is high-pitched as she runs towards Monica. Why does everyone has to ask to see her hand?

This time Phoebe covers the secret up. "No, you're too late. She already took out the trash." Rachel of course have no idea and are very confused.

I need to get away from this, so I yarn and say I'm tired. Monica follows my example and we're off to bed

Monica close the door behinds us as I sit down on the bed. "Any regrets for the day?" She asks me.

I look down. "Well one." I say, a pretty big one, but I've now come to terms with what I want, so it's not that big of a deal. "But that's fine. I'll do it some other time."

She return my smile and even though we aren't having engagement sex right now, I'm still very assured about this being it, for life.

XXXXXXXXX

The next morning goes as normal and when Joey asks if we want to go down and get some coffee after breakfast I see no reason not to say 'Yes.' Monica stays back to do some dishes. But promise she'll be down right after.

I hold a lookout at the door waiting for her to come and 20 minutes later, she does.

"Okay, here she comes." I say as I walk back to Joey. "How do I look? Do I look like a guy who doesn't want to get married?"

"Yeah." Joey takes a look at me. "And also a little like a French guy. I never noticed that before." His weird revelation gets interrupted by Monica.

"Hey, guys." She greets us. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, just hanging out." I lie. "Talking about websites."

"Yeah." Joey groans, not knowing how you lie.

"Yeah, we saw this really interesting website about marriage and how totally unnecessary it is and how it's just a way for the government to keep tabs on you." Well, if this isn't going to make her believe I hate marriage, then I don't know what is.

"Yeah. Big brother." I don't think Joey have any idea of what I just said.

"Well, that's a little crazy." Monica voice her opinion. "Although I am, you know, glad to hear that you're branching out on what you look at on the internet." She jokes refering to my porn use.

"Yeah, well." I shrug with a smile, knowing she doesn't think much about it. "You know, it just got me thinking, though. Why would anybody ever want to get married, huh?" This should push her over.

"Why?" Monica gets offended, after all, this is one of her biggest beliefs. "To celebrate your relationship. To solidify you commitment. To declare yur love for one another to the world." Her words move me, it's touching to hear how she sees marriage and, therefore, by extention our future.

"Eh." I shrug because, of course, I can't let her know what I really think.

"Okay, well, that's good to know." She frowns. I think I've achieved to convince her.

"Ah. _The Mr. Bowmont_'s here!" Joey screams and it seems like his boat has arrived. This is, of course, the only subject for the rest of the day.

Monica and I agree on having lunch together the next day. So far, I would say that my plan works perfectly, she really do seem to think I'm still that commitment-phobic I was before we got together, the one I wouldn't even admit to myself I wasn't anymore untill two weeks ago.

We meet up at a pizza place nearby her restuarant.

I greet her with a kiss, and a 'Hey.'

She says hey back. "You look nice." She then comments.

"You, too." I tell back because she really do. "Did you have a nice day?"

Something seems off with her, but I can't exactly put my finger on it. "Yep. Great. And you?" She finally replies.

"It was great so far." I say slowly, giving her time to tell me what's up, but she doesn't. "Should we go in?" I ask after a few moments.

She gives an agreeing nod and we go in.

We order a big pizza to share and while we eat I tell her about my day. But once again, I can tell something is bothering her. Halfway through the pizza it surfaces.

"So, that marriage stuff that you were saying yesterday you don't really believe that, do you?" She asks.

"Sure, I do." I nod, this is clearly what has been bothering her, and it needs to stay that way. "In fact, I think the whole concept of marriage is unnaturel. I mean, look at pigs. Let's take a second here and look at pigs. Okay, pigs don't mate for life. I mean, a pig can have, like a hundred sexual partners in a lifetime and that's just an ordinary pig not a pig that's good at sports." I ramble while continuing to eat.

"Wait a minute." She stops me. "Are you honestly telling me that- that you may never want to get married?" She looks worried.

I just keep eating, acting like everything is normal. "Well, never say never, but, you know, probably, um... yeah never." I lie.

"Oh. My God. Th- th- then, what are we even doing? I mean, what is this?" She's getting upset.

I fake a surprised tone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is all this pressure? Is this some new kind of strategy? Why don't you put down your copy of the 'rules', huh, man-trap?"

"You know what? I got to go." She gets up and leaves.

Everybody in the whole restaurant is looking at me, but I can't help but smile. "It's okay. I got a plan." I tell them, happy that my plan works, and keep eating. I've lived with Joey long enough to know that pizza shouldn't be wasted.

I finish the pizza before taking off, I go home with hope to find Monica there. She isn't there, but Joey is waiting for me in our apartment.

"Where he hell have you been?" He yells at me as I enter.

"I was making a coconut phone with the professor." I joke of his outfit, God he looks stupid.

He buzz and shakes his head, something really bad must have happened. "Richard told Monica he wants to marry her." He tells me, and my world falls down. This must be what bothered Monica at lunch, this must be why she got that mad.

"What?" I can't believe it.

"Yeah, yeah." Joey confirms. "I've been trying to find you to tell you to stop messing with her, and maybe I would have if these damn boat shoes wouldn't keep flying off!" He screams of his shoes.

"Oh, my God." How could he tell her this.

"I know, they suck!" Joey misunderstands me.

"He's not supposed to ask my girlfriend to marry him." I yell. "I'm supposed to do that."

"I know." Joey sigh in fustration.

"You know what I'm going to do?" I ask rhetorically. "I'm going to go over there, I'm going to kick his ass!" This is all I want to do right now. He should know you don't tell Chanlder Bing's girlfriend you want to marry her unpunished. I then remember how Richard looks, and he might be kind of old, but he can still take me down. "Will you help me?" Joey is, after all, more fighty-fight than me.

Joey looks at me. "Look, Chandler, I don't think us getting our asses kicked is a solution, okay?" He clearly sees the same as me. "Just go and find Monica." He tells me.

"You're right. Okay." I agree I know this is the best solution. To find her and assure her of how badly I want to marry her. "I'm going to get the ring." I sprint over to our bedroom and grap the ring. "I'm going to go find her and then I'm just going to propose, okay?"

Joey stops me right before I'm out of the door. "About that coconut phone. It might be good for the boat." I don't even answer I just run out and try and find her.

I search in all of her normal places. Joey's place first, I know it's a long shot but it would just be too annoying if she was there. Of course, she isn't. She isn't at Central Perk either, but Phoebe is and she tells me that she hasn't seen her. I search in a few more places, before realizing that she probably went to Richard's. Even though I hate this very much, I decide to go there.

I take three deep breaths before knocking. I don't know what'll do if she _is_ here.

"Chandler." He doesn't look surprised when he sees it's me, more disappointed.

"Where is she?" I ask in a tough, but cautious voice. "I'm not scared of you." Even though I am. I pass by him and go into his apartment.

"She's not here and please come in." He says sarcastically as he closes her door.

I see a drink on the table. "Scotch on the rocks, with a twist... On coaster." Monica's signature drink. "Monica? Monica?" I call around the apartment.

"Okay, she was here, but she left." Richard admits.

"Where did she go?" I ask.

"Well." He shrugs. "She said she had to think things over."

"Oh, my God." She can't be out there, thinking things over. That's not right. "I can't believe this, you know? I thought... I thought you were a good guy." I really did.

"Oh, hey, look, nothing happened." Okay, so that's his excuse.

"Nothing happened? Nothing?" I pressure him but he stays quiet. "So, you did tell me girlfriend you love her?"

"Well, all right, one thing happened." He admits like it's no big deal.

"You know, I can't believe this." I shout. "You know what you did? My girlfriend is out there thinking things over. You made my girlfriend think!" Which is, like, the worst you can do.

"Well, I'm sorry." He apologies but I don't think he means it.

"What does she have to think about?" I ask him. "I love her."

He nods in a I'm-better-than-you way. "Well, apparently I'm willing to offer her things that you are not."

"But I am willing to offer her all those things." I calm down. "This was just a plan, you know? A way to throw her off course. So that when I offered her all these things she would be surprised."

"Well, if it helps, it worked very well." That he gives me.

"It was working untill you showed up, you big three." I walk a way from him, happy to finally tell him how I see him. "I mean, this isn't fair. You had you chance with her. You had your chance and you blew it!" I yell. "And this is my chance and I'm not going to blow it because we are meant for each other. And this has all just been one stupid mistake. I was going to propose tonight." I fall down on his couch.

"You were going to propose?" He sits down on the opposite side of the couch.

"Yeah, I even... Got a ring." I put the box on the couch between us. "Did you get a ring?" I mock.

"No, I don't have a ring." He sighs, of course he didn't that big three probably thought that didn't matter to her. "You go get her, Chandler." I'm surprised, he retreats, he is a good guy after all. "And can I give you a piece of advice? If you do get her... don't ever let her go. Trust me."

I can't believe he would even think I would do that. But I appreciate his advice. "You know Richard... You are a good guy." I take back my words from before.

He rolls his eyes. "I know... I hate that." Well, okay, at least I know he's only doing this because he truely is a good guy and not because he doesn't still want to marry Monica.

I pat him on the shoulder as I leave. I don't get further than closing the door before I, the idiot I am, forgot the ring. I return and see that he truely is a good guy as he is holding up the ring over his head.

I try and get back home as fast as possible, runnig up the stairs.

"Dude..." Joey delays me as he's taking out the trash.

"I can't talk to you now. I got to find Monica." I try and get him to leave me alone.

"She's gone." He stops me form entering my home.

"What?" She can't really be gone.

"She had a bag and she left." Joey's voice is on the border to crying.

"What are you talking about?" This can't be true.

"She was all crying. She said you guys want diferent things and she needed time to think." This can't be true.

"Why didn't you stop her." I blame him. "Why didn't you tell her it was a plan?"

"I did. I told her everything, Chandler, but she wouldn't believe me."

Well, I've got to find her then. "Well, where...? Where did she go?"

"To her parents, I think, and she said that you shouldn't call her but if I were you, I would."

"I can't belive I ruined this." I cry. I was wrong the other day. That night with Richard wasn't one of the worst nights of my life, because I was still with her. This is the worst night of my life, this is the night I lost her.

"I'm so sorry, man." More he doesn't say, he clearly doesn't know how to comfort in this situation. I don't even know how I want to be comforted.

"Damn." I curse as I enter.

And just then, the night turns around. Inside is hundreds of candles and, there, in the middle I see Monica. "You wanted it to be a surprise." She says, I look back at Joey, he wickles his eyebrows telling me I got played.

"Oh, my god." I say as I walk over to her. That's when she gets down on one knee. I would laugh if it happened to anyone else, but I'm too surprised to laugh now. She does, however.

"Chandler," She starts. "In all my life I never thought I would be so lucky..." She is starting to lose it, it's too emotional for her. "As to fall in love with my best... My best... There's a reason why girls don't do this." She cries as she's losing it completely and her voice is breaking.

I fall down next to her, knowing she needs help. "Okay, okay. I'll do it." I take her hands. "I thought..." I'm losing it too. "I can do this." She chuckles, in a very romantic way. "I thought that it mattered what I said or where I said it. But then I realized that the only thing that matters is that you... you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And if you let me I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way." I take out the ring from my pocket. "Monica, will you marry be?" I finally ask, nervous even though it's only logical for the answer to be 'Yes.'

And sure enough, that is the answer that comes over her lips immediately.

I smile, I can't belive my luck as I slide the ring on her finger and our lips meet in a loving kiss followed by hug.

"I knew you were likely to take a wife!" She sreams and I don't know what that means, but it's true so I pull her into another hug.

Joey must have heard, because he wants to come in. He yells that they're dying out there, whoever 'they' are.

Monica tell them to come in and before I know it, I'm trapped in a group hug with my fiancée, Joey, Rachel and Phoebe. Not that I'm complaining.

"Oh, this is the least jealous I've ever been." Rachel comments.

"Oh, no, wait!" Phoebe stops us from laughing. "No!" This is wrong!" 'What's up with her?' I think. Then thankfully she explains. "Ross isn't here!"

We all look at each other. She's right. "Oh, hell, he's done this three times! He knows what it's about!" Rachel reminds us and we hug again.

"He should still be here." Phoebe states.

Rachel agrees. "Why don't we go over to his apartment to see if he's there?" She asks Phoebe and Joey.

Phoebe agrees but Joey looks at her. "Why do we need to be three people to do that?" He asks, not having caught on on Rachel's suggestion.

Phoebe takes his arm. "Because maybe the happy couple would like some time alone." Phoebe explains as they leave.

I laugh and turn to my fiancée. "Hey." She says simply.

"Hey." I reply. "She planed a proposal." That one kind of hurts. But in a wonderful way.

She chuckles. "It's your stupid 'throwing-me-off-the-tracks' idea. Although, I had caught onto it, so if you wanted it to be a surprise, then it was a good idea. I was very surprised when Joey told me." What? She knew this whole time? I've been making a fool out of myself for nothing?

"You figured it out?" I ask for certification. "I knew they were too obvious."

"That and... I found the ring brochure." She admits, '_Ring brochure'_ my mind search and only finds one possiblity. The one in the porn magazine. I feel myself turn pale.

"Oh... So you saw the..." I can't say it.

"The magazine?" She helps me, I look down totally embarrassed. "Yeah, I saw that. But Chandler I don't really care, okay, that's a part of you to look at naked women. And to be frank, I'd rather have you looking at pictures than the real deal."

"I don't." I can't even believe she would think that. I she really doesn't care? I can't believe that either. But... That brochure was in the magazine long before I actually proposed. "Wait a minute." I stop smiling. "Did you know I was going to propose when you called Richard?"

"Well, yeah." She admits and I can't believe it, why would she do that? "But I just thought we could talk with him for a couple of minutes, to tell him that I had won, I didn't know he was going to sit down." She assures me. "And then he showed up at my work and told me he loved me and wanted to marry me. All while you said it was the absolute last thing you would do. I was upset. So, I went over there, I guess Joey told you about that."

I nod. "Yeah."

"I just needed to complain about you to someone who would be on my side, none of our friends would. But I realized how wrong it is that he still loves me, so I got out of there." She takes a deep breath.

"I'm not mad." I tell her calmly, because I'm not. I understand why she did it. I'm not happy she did it, but I understand it. "I've clearly won, right?" She nods, I tell her how I went over there and how he told me to never let her go. "And I'm not planing to." I add and she awes. "Hey, do you want to dance?" I ask as I take her hand, knowing we have talked about this enough for tonight.

"Sure." She replies, taking my hand.

I turn on the radio and we begin to dance. The others take their time, but at some point they do get back.

"He wasn't there." Rachel tells us.

"We left note, telling him to come and bring champagne." Phoebe continues.

"And a 3 Musketeers Bar." Joey finishes.

We all laugh. But right then, Monica feels like she needs to go out and tell the world she's engaged to Chandler Bing. So, she goes out to the patio.

She yells it over and over for 20 minutes untill Ross comes back, and asks what's going on. I tell him, we've gotten engaged just as some guy tell Monica to shut up.

I run out to get her, before she says something stupid.

"She's engaged to me." I yell one time for all of New York, before pulling her inside.

**XXXXXXXX**

**So, I just thought getting Chandler's thoughts in on this would be a good idea. I don't know if I captured him that well, I personally think I did a better job with Monica. But then again, on the show we get Chandler's story and not a lot of Monica's. I mean, she's only in, like, one two-minute scene in The One With The Ring. **

**Anyways, let me know what you think.**


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